India Arie’s “I Am Not My Hair” is a symbolic anthem communicating that people (particularly those from the Black/African American community) are more than the social identities we use as labels. She sings, “I am not my hair / I am not this skin / I am not your expectations, no / I am not my hair / I am not this skin / I am the soul that lives within”. Although many found these lyrics empowering, others were quick to point out that systemic oppression often does relegate people of color to embody a single dimensional identity. As a woman of color, my permitted identity is often determined by those with more privilege and power than I have. Every day, I navigate the world trying to determine if my racial or my gender identity is more salient in the current space I inhabit. I can only imagine and listen to stories about how much more difficult it is for women with additional marginalized identities to cope with social expectations. Continue reading Identity, Intersection, and Collision→

‪Jamie Perkins‪, an educational assistant at an elementary school in Colorado writes: “Yes. And it’s not just women stepping in to these situations. I find that I am voluntold to do these tasks whereas my male co-intern gets to volunteer.‬”

‪Jodi Koslow Martin, a vice-president of student affairs in Illinois wrote: “I sent this article to a staff member at work. She thanked me and said it aligns with what I’ve said in the past – No Cupcakes! Honestly, I can’t remember instituting that rule but I’m all for it.‬”

‪Melanie-Angela Neuilly, a faculty member at a university in Washington state said to another commenter who raised the concerns about stereotypes, “Yes! It’s like: women, you are doing it wrong… Just be more like men.‬”

Feminism. As a career development and higher education professional, the word comes up often as students explore their life directions.Though it was over a decade ago, I still remember when I first shared the word with my family.

My grandmother’s response was something to the effect of, “Yeah, that’s really just a term wealthy people use to describe something I’ve had no choice about for years.”
Wow. That was a sock at the time to my “very enlightened,” undergraduate gut.

As the first woman in my family to go to college, I arrogantly could not understand that my new, emerging way of thinking came off as dismissive to their years of wisdom.For me, feminism felt like an answer. An answer to the deep murmurings I had felt my whole life. It was almost therapeutic. However with more time, I was able to see that there were parts of my cultural and socioeconomic experience to which it did not so directly speak (or, well, I had to dig for it!).